Friday, December 30, 2011

BAM ‘pilih kasih’

The heading simply means double standards. And that is what Malaysia's top Malay daily tabloid Harian Metro is implying on the Badminton Association of Malaysia.

The fact that BAM has some preferred players has been obvious but the main stream papers have been somewhat cajoled into not writing the truth. There are so many "little napoleons" with BAM that one can be forgiven if the phrase warlord and godfathers is used to describe ongoings in sports scenario.

The article meanwhile outlines the fact that players are punished just because they are aligned to a private club, KLRC in particular, and while all kind of rules of engagement are used against players donning the KLRC name, some others are treated with tender gloves, akin to these players having some kind of special protection.

Yes, BAM will come out with all sorts of theories and denials, yet how will they evade this scenario, especially since a statement was made on TV that World Junior Champion Zulfadli Zulkifli will not find a place in the Thomas Cup squad.

Now I wonder what criteria was used to determine this when the same person came out and said that the performances of the last six months will count towards determining the Thomas and Uber Cup squads. So how is it that Julia Wing is not being considered although she has a higher ranking then some BAM players.

The best should represent the country, that we all agree, but not TWO people in BAM. They play politics and have vested interests, simple. Who cares about their so called motto that they have been serenading all the while - in the interest of the nation, what a load of bull.